Cooling and conveying mechanism.



W. J. TODHUNTER.

COOLING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mags. 1917.

1,298,828. Patented Apr. 1,1919

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- W. J. TODHUNTER.

COOLING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man 0505. 191;.

1,298,828. Patented Apr. 1, 1)l).

2 SHEETS--SHEET Z.

Ede fir." 514mm J'Jad/ww WILLIAM J'. TODHUNTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COOLIN G AND CONVEYING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed December 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,500.

To all whom it may concern Be it knowntha-t I, WILLAM J. TODHUN-' TER a citizen of the United States, residing at hicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooling and Conveying Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to rolling mills wherein ingots, blooms or billets are reduced to shapes of various kinds and particularly to a novel cooling bed for cooling the mate rial so shaped. v 7

One object of my invention is to improx e the method of cooling material preferably plates formed when in a hot state.

Another object of my invention is to improve cooling beds so that shapes and particularly platesof large size may be adequately cooled and at the same time reducing ,amount of floor space ordinarily occupied by cooling beds.

Another object is to provide an improved cooling mechanism for plates and the like adapted to meet the various requirements for, successful commercial operation.

The cooling bed of my invention comprises a feed table, a delivery table and rotary means including a series of axially alined wheels provided .with spindles or spokes mounted to extend between adjacent rollers of the feed train and the delivery train to pick up pieces of materials from the feed train and deposit them on the delivery train, the direction of rotation of the wheels being at right angles to the direction of rotation of the rollers in the feed and delivery trains. I employ a driving mechanism which will move the cooling wheels step by stepand when such wheels are being moved the rollers of both the feed and delivery trains will be at rest. When thewheels are at rest, rollers of the feed and delivery train will be in motion.

- The above recited and other objects will be apparent from the drawings, wherein Figure '1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of'my invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof on- 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectlon on 'line 3-3 of line . Fig.

The cooling bed of my invention comprises, in. the preferred embodiment shown, a frame having side members 5 and 5 supported on suitable abutment's or piers 6.

The portion of the foundation underlying the frame is excavated to provide space for the operation of the rotary cooling members.

The frame members 5 and 5 are joined at in-. tervals by cross braces 7 forming at their intermediate portions bearings 8 for supporting the shaft 9 on which are mounted a plurality of wheels 10, having spindles or spokes 11. Also mounted on the side members 5 and 5 of the frame are rollers 12 of the feed train and 13 of the delivery train. The inner ends of these rollers are carried in suitable bearings 14: supported by the cross. braces 7. The wheels 10 are so mounted with respect to the rollers 12 and 13 as to extend between adjacent rollers, the lengths of the spokes 11 being such as to extend almost tothe outer ends of the rollers 12 and 13 to accommodate pieces .of materials varying considerably in size.

I As driving means for the rollers 12 and 13,- I prefer to employ longitudinally extending shafts 15, 16, mounted in suitable brackets on the outer portions of the frame members 5 and 5, and provided at intervals with beveled gears 17, 18, there being as many gears 17, 18, as there are rollers 12 and 13. The outer ends of the shafts su porting the rollers 12 and 13 are extended through suitable bearings 19 and 20 in the members 5 and 5 and carry at their outer ends beveled gears 21, 22, meshing with the respective gears 17 I and-18 mounted opposite the rollers 12 and 13. Shaft 9 which supports the wheels 10 has anoutwardly projecting end, as seen in Fig. 1, carrying a; gear 23. I have provided mechanism for alternating the operation of the rollers and wheels, the rollers in both the feed and delivery. trains operating simul- .taneously. This mechanism preferably includes an electric motor or other prime mover 24 connected with speed reduction gears in a casing 25. Extending from the casing 25 is a shaft 26 carrymg loosely mounted thereon a double faced beveled gear 27, which is prevented from longitudinal displacement by collar 28 keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 26. One face of the gear 27 meshes with a bevel gear 29 keyed to a shaft 30 which carries at its outer end a bevel gear 31 meshing with a-bevel gear 32-1.

secured to the shaft 15. Engaging the other end of the shaft 26 there is loosely mounted thereon a gear 37 1n mesh with gear 23 on shaft 9, which shaft carries the wheels 10. Splined to shaft 26 between the gears 27 and 37 is a double clutch 38 which may be of any well known construction.

'In the operation of the device, materials such as plates are delivered to the rolls 12 of the feed train from forming and shaping rolls. While the materials are being delivered to the rolls 12, these rolls are being driven in the direction of the arrow by means of the motor 24, the clutch member 38 being in engagement with portion 39 of gear 27, it being understood that the delivery rolls 13 are being driven simultaneously.

When the clutch member 38 is in engagement with the portipn 39 it is disengaged from portion 40 of gear 37, thus permitting the shaft 9 and wheels 10 to be at rest. The spindles or spokes 11 of the rotary cooling means are arranged when the wheels 10 are at rest to have one member as 11? see Fig. 3 even with or just beneath the upper surface of the rolls 12 so that the plates delivered to the rolls 12 will extend over the underlying spindles 11. In like manner spindles as 11 will underlie the upper surfaces of the delivery rolls 13.

The materials delivered to the rollers 12 r from the forming rolls will therefore overlie the arms 11 of the several wheels 10. When the material has been moved a suflicient distance onto the rollers 12, the clutch 38 is opv erated to disengage the collar 39, thus stopping rotation of the rolls 12, '13,, and engage the collar 40, thus imparting rotation to the shaft 9 and the Wheels 10 keyed thereto. This operation will then cause the wheels 10, (Fig. 3) to move in clockwise direction, moving the materials on the arms 11 upwardly away from the rollers 12. When the next arms have been brought into position substantially even with the upper edges of the rollers 12,-the rotation of the wheels 10 is stopped and the rolls 12, 13 actuated and another bar or finished shape is delivered to the next arm 11 of the wheels 10, which is then in the. position of 11*, shown in Fig. 3. The clutchcis then operated to discontinue the movement of the rollers 12 and 13 and move the shaft 9 and the wheels 10 a sufficient distance so that the next spindle will be ready to receive a finished shape which correlated intermittent movement is continued as long as desired. It will thusqolpgi seen that in the operation of the cooling of my invention successiveformsand s apes are delivered to the successive arms of the wheels and moved slowly to the delivery train, thus permitting circulation of air therearound andconsequently proper cooling. After the wheels 10 have passed the position shown by 11, (Fig. 3) the shapes carried by said arms will fall onto the under or back side or what being cooled. At the same time this move ment of the material being cooled permits easy inspection of the upper and lower sides of said material. I have provided on the under side of the arms 11 sprin s 41 which serve as shock absorbers when t e material falls from the upper surface of the advancing arm to the rear surface of the preceding arm which occurs when any arm passes the position shown by 11 (Fig.- 3). When the wheels 10 have been rotated through substantially 180, the arm 11 will then be in the position of 11", that is, ready to deliver the material to the rollers 13 of the delivery train. g It will be apparent that the cooling means of my invention makes possible the uniform cooling of the materials delivered thereto, which cooling will be accomplished to a greater extent than in the present day type of flat beds, inasmuch as all sides of the material are exposed to the circulation of air. Furthermore, it will be observed that. the s ace occupied by my cooling device isgreat y reduced and that therefore a great saving of space may be made reducing materially the ultimate cost of production and the initial cost. of installation. It will be understood that in the operation of the device that the arms moving from 11 to 11 in counterclockwise direction will be supporting the shapes to be cooled and that the arms from 11 to 11 in thesame direction will be free of any load and in moving from 11 to 11 will support the plates on one side and from 11 to 11 on the opposite side.

In view of the fact that the hot material is not carried into the wheel pit and the wheel construction is open, the temperature of the air in the pit is maintained at a minimum. As a result of the uniform cooling accomplished by my rota-rybed the finished shape presented to the delivery train is unwarped thereby eliminatin ment of the material and dental thereto.

The arrangement ofthe w heels 10and the spindles or arms 11 which I have illustrated is made'particularly for the purpose of ree expense inc1- 'ceiving and cooling plates and flat shapes,

It is my intention to cover the various modifications coming within the scope of the following. claims.

I claim: 1. In a deviceof' the class described, a

further treatroller delivery table and a roller feed table,

' combination roller feed table, a roller delivery table, means for simultaneously operating both, means cooperating with each for transferring material from one to the other, said means including a shaft, a plurality of wheels thereon arranged to rotate in vertical planes between the rollers of said tables and extend beyond the middle of said rollers, means for rotating said shaft, and means cooperating with said shaft rotating means and the table operating means to prevent simultaneous operation of all.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination a roller feed table, a roller delivery table, means for simultaneously operating both, means cooperating with each for transferring material from one to the other, said means including a shaft, a plurality of wheels thereon arranged to rotate in vertical planes between the rollers of said tables and extend beyond the middle of said rollers, means for rotating said shaft, and selectively controlled means cooperating with said shaft rotating means and the table operating means to prevent simultaneous operation of all,

4. In a plate cooling mechanism, in combination, spaced feed and delivery tables,

5. In a plate cooling mechanism, in combination, a feed table, and a delivery table in spaced parallel relation, means for operating said tables simultaneously, a shaft extending between said tables parallel thereto, a plurality of wheels on said shaft arranged with the spokes extending between adjacent rollers of said tables, and substantially to the middle points thereof, means for rotatin said shaft, means cooperating with sai shaft rotating means and the table operating means adapted to alternately connect sameto a source of power for alternate actuation thereof, and means for controlling saidlatter means.

6. In a device of the class described, a delivery table, and transfer means therebetween, said means including a shaft, a plurality of wheels thereon arranged with spokes projecting between the rollers of said tables, resilient means arranged on the rear side of said spokes in direction of rotation thereof, shafts for rotating said rollers, a source of ower, connections therebetween and with said transfer shaft, and means for alternately connecting the shafts with a source of power.

Signed at Chicago, State of 111., this 22 day of November, A. D., 1917. 7

WM. J. TODHUNTER. 

